"Agra" a Agra Travel Page by tayloretc

We didn’t have a lot of time in Agra. From what I could tell, and as you’d probably guess, most of the town revolves around the Taj Mahal and Red Fort and the related tourist trade. I didn’t think much of the town itself. Overall, I thought prices were too high for what was offered (both goods and services), and found the hard sell unpleasant (outside the Red Fort I was actually pushed around by mobs of hawkers; inside one “state run” crafts store, things were shoved repeatedly in my face). The city is spread out, so unless you are very lucky in your hotel booking, walking isn’t really an option. Everything outside the Taj Mahal or Red Fort is as dusty and dirty and chaotic as anywhere else I’ve been in India (only in the south), with the added hassle of a hard sell at every turn and general uneasiness from a recent story of a tourist going missing.

In short, it’s not where I would choose to stay for any length of time. That said, it’s definitely worth the trip. There are decent people here (once they stop selling), and there are a few handicrafts places worth checking out (one is listed here). Plus, the Taj Mahal is probably the single most beautiful man-made thing I’ve ever seen. Photos don’t do it justice.

Not to say I didn’t try. (Here are some photos of the Taj Mahal and the Red Fort.)